


I'm standing in front of you

by Area50Dun



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Sadness, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, depressed Tyler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-08 23:51:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8868052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Area50Dun/pseuds/Area50Dun
Summary: The real story of how Josh and Tyler met. Love at first sight. Sad and lonely Tyler. Based on the twenty one pilots song Screen. Fluff fluff fluff.





	

Tyler wiped his eyes furiously. He didn't mean to cry, didn't want to feel sad. But he did. Always.

He couldn't put his finger on why or when he started feeling this way. It had slowly creeped in. Tyler had always felt like he was different, not good enough. He was broken. He knew he wasn't alone in the world, there were others that felt like him, that were broken people, but he still felt so _alone_ in ways his family and friends couldn't understand.

Tyler never put a name to how he felt, never spoke about it or sought help. He didn't see the point, it was just the way he was. You can't stop the night from being dark. People made comments, remarked on how quiet he was, his mom having to drag in out of bed some days, but no one spoke about it. He watched the clock, feeling hopeless, helpless, willing himself to just _sleep_ for once.

Just go to sleep.

❤️

It was the next day when he met Josh at a local concert. Mark had dragged him over telling him there was someone he _had_  to meet. Tyler's eyes were tired, his head aching and his sadness nagging him at the back of his brain. He didn't want to meet a new person. Josh smiled and shook his hand and as Tyler met his gaze, for once his sadness didn't seem so _there_. "Hey." Josh spoke first before Mark could introduce them. "I'm Josh, nice to meet you finally." This worried Tyler. The fact Mark had told Josh about him, what he might have said about him. "Hi, I'm Tyler." He mumbled, his eyes never leaving Josh's face, his smile dazzling Tyler. He felt like a deer in headlights, frozen to the spot, looking right towards the blinding light, completely unaware of what was coming his way. Tyler smiled. Josh asked him about his music and said he wanted to hear it. Tyler nodded and listened as Josh told him that he played the drums and Tyler could tell that Josh had an insane love for music.

Tyler smiled and he actually meant it.

❤️

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Josh and Tyler had agreed to get lunch together the next day, swapping phone numbers and addresses. Josh came to pick Tyler up that morning but they ended up spending the day at Tyler's house, just talking. They talked for hours about life and their dreams of playing music. Josh was standing opposite Tyler, watching him carefully. "Something is wrong." Josh stated and Tyler shifted, feeling uncomfortable.

He'd tried so hard to pretend. To be someone better. Tyler had another bad night the night before with no sleep and feeling terrible. Josh came and he was trying to be normal, trying to be so cool, like everything was together. Josh saw through it. "I'm-" Tyler was lost for words, he couldn't lie to Josh like he did everyone else. "It's okay Tyler." Josh said putting his hand on his shoulder. "I can't explain." Tyler told Josh, meeting his eye. "While you're doing fine, there's some people and I.." Tyler said, trying to put what was in his brain into words. "Who Have a really tough time getting through this life." Josh nodded.

"I don't know why I thought I could lie." Tyler said quietly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm broken." Josh moved the hand that was resting on Tyler's arm. "We all struggle with life." Josh said "we may look like we're doing fine but.." Tyler watched Josh's teeth as he chewed his bottom lip, trying to find words. Tyler found it endearing. "We're broken people."

Tyler let out a breath. 'Cheer up!' He was used to hearing like those two words were the magic cure. He wasn't used to someone actually _understanding_  and listening to him. People Tyler had known for years couldn't understand him, didn't really _know_  him but here was Josh. Someone he had known for less than 48 hours and it felt like he could see into Tyler, like he was the one to really know his soul. "It's okay to be broken." Josh told him, his voice low. "Show it. Don't hide behind your pride." Tyler nodded and opened his mouth but had no words. Josh moved closer, his hand ghosting over Tyler's jaw, his face close to Tyler's, the warmth from his skin engulfing Tyler.

Everything happened in slow motion, the world around him disappearing. Tyler could only see what was right in front of him and that was Josh. His dark hair, pale skin. Tyler noticed a freckle or two. He was perfect. Their lips touched, brief and light, like it never happened.

Tyler's brain was going into overdrive, he felt like he was falling from the sky, he felt like a runaway train, going a mile a minuet. He couldn't quite get enough air into his lungs. Josh kissed him again properly, this time harder and there. Tyler held onto Josh, his fingers tangled in Josh's hoodie, making sure he was there, that this was real and he wasn't dreaming. For the first time, Tyler didn't feel alone. He wanted to scream, to run outside and tell the world about how he's fallen in love. Love at first sight.

He wanted to sing to the sky.

Josh ran the pads of his fingers over Tyler's cheekbone, looking at him, _inside_ of him. "I'm not alone anymore." Tyler whispered, his voice laced with fear, with happiness, with relief. Josh smiled and shook his head. "I promise you, Tyler. You'll never be alone again."

❤️

Tyler's shoulder was leaning against Josh's, who was sat beside him, his legs crossed, eyes watching Tyler as he thought back. Tyler smiled too as he remembered that day, six years ago.

Josh had always kept his promise. "How did we meet?" Tyler repeated the question, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Well.. It's a funny story actually. I was in prison.." Josh smirked, holding a laugh as Tyler told the story, the interviewer looking between them, wanting a real answer. They would never give the honest answer.

 

"..and most of our songs are actually written about that meeting."


End file.
